Safety mechanism for gearing



Patented oci. 13, 1925.

istanti trice.

FRED J. BULLOCK, O'F SHORTSVILLE, NEW YORK.

SAFETY MECHANISIVI FORGEARIING.

Application flied May 1s, 1922. seran No. 561,899.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, F une J. BULLocK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shortsville, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Mechanism for Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'pertains to safety mechanism for gearing and has reference more particularly to that class of devices employed in conjunction with machinery where-in the operator is liable to have his fingers and hands caught between moving elements driven by the gearing. The invention is shown in connection with the gearing of an ensilage 'cutting machine in which the gearing will be positively arrested and thrown out of mesh upon the application of a slight pressure upon a safety arm located adjacent the point of infeed to the machine.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein j Fig. 1 is a front elevation of so much of an ensilage cutter as is necessary to yan understanding of the present invention;

Fig. 2 a sideelevation thereof illustrating the gears in operative position for driving the feeding rollers in their forward or infeed direction;

Fig. 3 a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 and on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the gears separated and brought to neutral position;

Fig. 4 a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line .lV-IV of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 sectional elevations showing a modification of the invention.

Referring rst to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 1 denotes the bed of the machine mounted upon suitable supports 2 and 3 and 4 indicate the side members or wings of the throat of the runway or infeed table leading to the infeed rollers 5 and 6. Power is derived through any suitable source, not shown, and applied to a shaft 7, which in turn, through suitable gearing, drives a power shaft 8, carrying a gear V9.l This gear, in effect, becomes the driving gear for the rollers 5 and 6, in a manner presently to appear. A sector rack 10 is secured to the framework of the machine adjacent said gearing 9, the upper face of the rack at theleft hand end being provided with a 'stop 11 adjacent which is an inclined face 12. The rack is also provided with a centrally disposed notch 13 and another notch 14 at the right hand end thereof. lVorliing in conjunction with said raclr is a gear shifting lever 15, the lever being provided with a spring` controlled latch 16 connected to a releasing` handle `17. The lever at its lower end'is fulcrumed upon a shaft 18 (Fig. 4) and is provided with a lateral ex- 65 tension 151 and in which is mounted a stub shaft 19 carrying an idler gear 20. The lever 15 is also provided with 'a stub shaft 21 upon which is journaled a pinion 22 to theextended sleeve of which there is keyed a gear 28 which lies in the same plane as the driving pinion or gear 9. Securedto the outer end of the shaft 18 (see more particularly Figs. 8 and 4) is a gear 24 which meshes with the pinion 22. Said shaft 18 75 also hassecured to it a gear 25 which meshes with a similar gear 26 secured upon a shaft 27. The shafts 18 and 27 are connected with l the Ifeed rollers 5 and 6 respectively, and impart motion thereto.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the latch 16 is in engagement with the inclined face 12 upon the rack or sector 10 whereby it is impositively locked thereto, gears 9 and 28 are in mesh and con- 85 sequently the shafts 18 and 27 are rotated so as to produce an infeed between the rollers 5 and 6, the gear V20 at such time running idle. When the lever 15 is thrown so that the latch 16 enters the central notch 13, the 90 gears are brought to their idle position and the shafts 18 and 27 remain at rest. When the lever is thrown clear to the right so that the latch 16 engages the notch 14, gear 2O -then engages the driving gear or pinion 9 95 and a reverse motion is imparted to the shafts 18 and 27 and consequently to the `rollers driven thereby.

Extending across Vthe bed of the machine is a rocker shaft 28, said shaft being mounted in suitable bearings, as 29, and having secured toit an upstanding bail shaped member 30. Said bail shaped member, as will be seen, stands adjacent to the wings 8 and 4 of the runway into which the .mate- 105 rial to be operated upon is fed, so that it may be easily actuated or operated by the machine attendant to rock the shaft when action so requires. The shaft at that end which stands adjacent the gearing is provided with an upwardly projecting arm or lever 31, the outer end. of which is curved.

and provided with a lateral extension 32 which under normal conditions stands immediately above the gears 9 and "23 but does not contact the same. 1When for a-ny reason it is desired to quickly separate the gea-rs and to bring the rollers 5 and 6 to rest, as for instance, if the fingers of the attendant should become caught between the rollers 5 and 6, the attendant has merely to rock the bail shaped member inwardly whereby the member 32 will be carried downwardly between the gears causing the gears to be separated, as shown in Fig. 3. The movement of the gears assist in this operation the moment the teeth thereof bite upon the member 32, and in view of the fact that they are held in mesh only through an impositive lock it is not essential that the lever 15 be manually manipulated, the latch 16 riding up the inclined face 12 during such operation or movement of the parts.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and effective gear disengaging device or mechanism without in any manner materially altering the driving mechanism of the machine or employing any great number of parts.

As will be seen upon reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the right hand side of the notch 13 is made higher than the other side and thus the lever 15 is prevented, when the gears are automatically thrown out of forward driving relation, from throwing clear lover to the reverse notch 111. If the lever were permitted to be thrown to its full extent there would be danger of the gear being thrown into reverse too quickly with the probability of tearing the teeth out of the gears.

The structure is such that it may be readily applied to machines now in use without any material alterations thereof or the employment of any special gearing. It only becomes necessary to change the form of the sector or lock and to install the bail, its rocker sha-ft, and the gear separating element carried thereby.

The particular configuration of the element 32 is not essential to the operation of the device as any shaped piece will function properly if it is of the proper size.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a modifiedy embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein instead of having the gear disengaging element overlying the gears it stands to one side thereof and may be thrown laterally in between the same to cause a separation thereof. In said figures the rocker shaft is denoted, as in the other views, by 23, and attached thereto is an arml or lever 34 which at its outer end takes into a slot 35 formedin an arm or lever 36. Said arm isattached to or formed as an integral part of a hub or member 37, said hub being journaled in the frame of the machine and carrying at its other end an upstanding arm 38 provided with a laterally extending finger 39. Said finger stands to one side of the gears 9 and 23 and upon movement of the bail shaped member 30 as set forth in connection with the other form, the linger 39 will be moved in between the gears and cause their disengagement.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a driving gear, a driven gear cooperative therewith; a member standing adjacent said driving and driven gears; and means for throwing said member between the gears to cause the separation thereof and to thereby effect a stoppage of movement of said driven gear.

2. In combination with a driving gear, a driven gear; an impositive latch for holding said driven gear in driving relation with the driving gear; a member standing adjacent said gears at their point of intermesh; and means under the control of the operator for throwing said member between the gears and to thereby cause separation thereof, such separation being permitted by the impositive locking means.

3. In combination with a driving gear; feeding rollers; a gear train interposed between said rollers and the driving gear; an impositive latch for holding one of the gears of the gear train in intermeshing relation with the driving gear; a member standing adjacent one of the gears of the train and said driving gear; and means independent of the latch and under the control of the operator for moving' said member between said gears, thereby effecting a separation of the driving gear from the intermeshing gear of the train with a consequent release of the impositive latch.

4. In combination with a driving gear; a sector arranged adjacent thereto, said sector being provided at one end with an inclined bearing face and with spaced notches removed from said bearing face; a rocking' lever; a latch carried by said lever and adapted to engage said inclined face and one or the other `of the notches; a gear train carried by said lever; feed rollers; connections between said feed rollers and the gear train for operati-ng the rollers; a member standing adjacent said rollers adapted to be actuated by the machine attendant; and an element movable with said member', said element standing adjacent to and adapted to be moved between the driven gear and the gear of the train meshing therewith when the latch upon the lever is in contact with the inclined face upon the rack and the element is moved inwardly between said gears upon actuation of the member aforesaid which stands adjacent the rollers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED J. BULLOCK. 

